News About This Theater

The 1,000 seat, Park Terrace Theater opened on May 28, 1964. The grand opening ceremonies included a fireworks display, music by the Charlotte College Choir, and speaches by the Mayor Pro Tem, President of the Chamber of Commerce, and a local radio personality named Ty Boyd. At 9:10 p.m. the first movie, "Captain Newman" with Gregory Peck and Tony Curtis ran. Coming attractions included “Flipper’s New Adventure”, “What a Way to Go” with Shirley McLain, and “Good Neighbor Sam” with Jack Lemmon.

The Park Terrace advertised “a startling concept in theatre comfort, and attractiveness where you will experience a new world of motion picture enjoyment.” The theater had a large glass enclosed lobby and “air-flo rocking chairs”. For 1964 it was revolutionary, and Charlotte loved it. In the late-1960’s the Park Terrace Theater offered a long extended run of Disney’s “Mary Poppins”.

The Park Road shopping center opened in the late-1950’s. This was Charlotte’s first big shopping center, and featured acres of parking, and numerous stores and restaurants. Like the theater, it was revoluntionary. It’s still a popular and attractive shopping center.

Along the way the Park Terrace Theater went multi-screen / stadium seating. It’s last expansion was in 1995. The art moderne exterior is still in place. It’s charmingly dated. It was closed in late December 2017. It was announced in May 2017 that AMC will reopen the theatre in 2019.

“TOP GUN” was absent from the exclusive 70MM-6 Track Dobly Stereo Engagement Showings in the greater Charlotte area(especially Charlotte’s Park Terrace). The only theatre in the state that got the 70MM print was at Raleigh’s Mission Valley Cinema(the only theatre in the state where it got 70MM-6 Track Dobly Stereo presentational showing)when it opened on May 16,1986.

Congratulations Park Terrace, you are 50 years old today! Wish I could have been there today for the time capsule opening. To start out 50 years ago a single screen, to make it through all the industry changes. Now you’re a six with stadium seating and digital projection, let’s make it to 75! I enjoyed managing there 1987-1989, will try to post some old pics!